


Starting fires

by BarbAndCo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cute, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Zuko and Sokka being the best parents ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:16:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbAndCo/pseuds/BarbAndCo
Summary: Izumi figures out how to firebend for the first time while Sokka and Zuko discover the perils of raising a firebender.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 302





	Starting fires

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted from tumblr original post [ here ](https://firelord-boomerang.tumblr.com/post/625343556616355840/zukka-izumi-and-the-first-time-she-firebends)

Zuko and Sokka are not the perfect parents. They’ve had their fair share of missteps and moments of total, utter panic but that’s a given for first-time fathers. What they lack in experience, however, they more than make up for in foresight.

But really no type of planning would have prepared them for this. The study is on fire and their precious baby girl standing right in the middle of it laughing with delight and their dragon joining in occasionally. Her fathers are in the doorway watching Izumi punch fire out of her hands having the time of her life.

“I blame you for this,” Sokka tells his husband.

“You let Druk out,” Zuko points out.

“Call it even?”

“Deal.”

* * *

**_A few moments before disaster_ **

Zuko and Sokka are sleeping soundly in their bed wrapped around each other. After a long day of keeping the world running, a good night’s rest is definitely something they deserve. 

It's a quiet evening. A soft breeze blows through their open window. Tonight is much chillier than the previous ones but neither can complain-- all the more reason to snuggle.

Everything is fine until, of course, Zuko hears a noise.

“What was that?” Zuko mumbles groggily. He is sure he heard some rattling and maybe a faint squawk. “I heard something.”

“Probably nothing,” Sokka grumbles into Zuko’s chest. “Maybe just Druk messing around.”

“Druk isn’t in his pen?” Zuko says but he’s already getting lulled back to sleep. 

Sokka hums. “Sleep now. Worry in the morning.”

“M’kay.” Zuko buries his face in Sokka’s hair.

Then, a loud crash echoes through the palace jolting them both from their slumber.

* * *

**_Fifteen minutes before the best day of Izumi’s life_ **

Izumi finds herself wide awake in the middle of the night. Instead of going to her parents like she usually does, she decides that it’s time for adventure. She gets out of bed and sees Druk pass by her window.

“Druk!” Izumi yells waving at him. Druk turns and skitters away faster.

She decides to follow him, also going out through the window. She climbs easily out and scales the wall just like her fathers taught her. Druk goes into the first open window and Izumi stumbles in after him.

Izumi falls inside and comes face to face with a curious looking Druk. She stares at Druk intently and the dragon stares back. Druk raises a small claw up. Izumi raises her tiny hand. Druk flutters his wings. Izumi raises her arms up and down. Druk blows out a small puff of fire. Izumi puffs out her cheeks and blows out a tiny flame surprising them both.

Druk squacks and flies up on the shelves. Izumi doesn’t mind her playmate scurrying away as she’s mesmerized by her newfound ability. Delighted by the spark she made, Izumi continues to blow out air trying to produce fire. She concentrates really hard and tries to channel some fire into her fingertips just like her papa does and it works!

Izumi stares at her hand in wonder. A small but bright flame burns at the center of her tiny palm. She looks at it fascinated. This has never happened before! She punches the air and a big burst of flame surges.

“Cool!” she says as she punches the air some more spinning in circles. She doesn’t notice the fact that she’s also setting the room on fire as she goes.

* * *

**_Now_ **

All Zuko and Sokka can do at first is stare in shock.

“Dad! Papa! Look what I can do!” Izumi shoots some more fireballs weak enough to disappear as they went but still snagging enough pieces of the room to set it ablaze.

Zuko snaps out of it first and extinguishes the flames quickly. Sokka isn’t far behind, as soon as the fires are out he scoops Izumi up and checks her for any injuries.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Sokka asks. She seems fine but one can never be too sure.

“I can firebend like Papa!” Izumi cheers excitedly. “Did you see, Dad? I copied Druk and I made fire! Want to see me do it again?”

“Maybe when you’re not too close to Dad’s face, yeah?” Sokka grabs Izumi’s little fist and gently tucks it away lest she sends another fireball in her excitement.

“I’m a firebender now too!” Izumi says proudly.

“Yes, that great baby!” Sokka says kissing her temple. “I’m outnumbered now there’s two of you!”

“Don’t forget Druk,” Zuko chimes in with a fond smile. 

Upon hearing his name, Druk descends from his perch at the shelves and winds his way between Zuko and Sokka’s legs, finally settling around Sokka’s shoulders. 

“That was amazing Izumi, how'd you do that?” Zuko asks.

Izumi reaches for Zuko and Sokka lifts her to his arms with practiced ease. Sokka sneaks in a quick peck on Zuko’s cheek as he hands Izumo off which never fails to make the other man blush. Years of marriage and he’s still got it, Sokka thinks proudly.

Zuko smiles, and checks her over too. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” she explains. “And then I saw Druk on the window so I followed him! We climbed up and then he puffed out a fire and I copied him and I did it! I can puff fire too watch!”

Izumi takes a deep breath and puffs out her cheeks then lets out a giant yawn.

Sokka chuckles. “I think that’s enough excitement for tonight.”

“Let’s get Izumi to bed,” Zuko agrees.

“Okay.” Izumi is already sounding sleepy.

Zuko reaches for Sokka’s hand and his husband gladly obliges. They walk out of the burned study hand in hand with Izumi starting to doze off in Zuko’s arms.

“Firebending really takes it out of the little ones, huh?” Sokka says.

“It’s a rush at first,” Zuko explains. “But once the excitement dies down it does tire you out.”

Sokka pat Izumi’s head.

They bring her back to their bed just to make sure she doesn’t wake up and venture off into the unknown again. Zuko tucks her in between him and Sokka, and Druk flies off to make himself comfortable at the bottom of the bed.

The three of them are cuddled up with Sokka and Zuko facing each other, Izumi in between them.

“So, she’s a firebender,” Zuko says with a smile.

“We can handle this.” Sokka smiles back. “But for now let’s sleep. Let’s deal with this in the morning.”

“Yeah.” Zuko squeezes Sokka’s hand. “In the morning.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr [ @firelord-boomerang ](https://firelord-boomerang.tumblr.com)


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